Social and political activity of Mikhail Rostovtzeff in emigration through his correspondence with Pyotr Struve

Mikhail Rostovtzeff, an eminent classicist, occupied a pivotal role not only within the academic milieu of the Russian Diaspora but also in the years preceding and following his departure from Russia in 1918. His activities were especially noteworthy during the initial years of emigration. The State Archive of the Russian Federation holds copies of four documents from the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace (Leland Stanford Junior University) that illustrate the close relationship Rostovtzeff maintained with his like-minded colleague Pyotr Struve, one of the leaders of the Russian political emigration at the turn of the 1910s and early 1920s. Furthermore, the documents demonstrate Rostovtzeff’s active involvement in advancing anti-Bolshevik initiatives within the United States. Despite the apparent futility of his anti-Bolshevik efforts, Rostovtzeff nevertheless endeavoured to fulfill his public obligation through active engagement in social life abroad. This entailed offering aid to colleagues confronting daunting circumstances, cultivating and sustaining ties with the political milieu, particularly in the realm of foreign affairs, within the United States. The article introduces a previously unexplored correspondence between Rostovtzeff and Struve, providing insights not only into the lives of these scholars but also into the historical context of Soviet-American relations prior to the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the United States.